The Rajah Quilt

The Rajah Quilt

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Rajah's Granddaughter: Campbell Town Convict Brick Trail

Rajah's Granddaughter: Campbell Town Convict Brick Trail: "Campbell Town is an historic town in central Tasmania. It was named by Governor Lachlan Macquarie in 1821, for his wife Elizabeth nee Campb..."

Campbell Town Convict Brick Trail

Campbell Town is an historic town in central Tasmania.  It was named by Governor Lachlan Macquarie in 1821, for his wife Elizabeth nee Campbell.  The river that flows through Campbell Town is named the Elizabeth River.  Campbell Town is situated between Hobart and Launceston, and was a garrison post on the route between the two major towns. 

Charles was living near Campbell Town when he was involved in the capture of the bushrangers that earned him his emancipation in 1834.  Charles Dewhurst and Elizabeth Banks were married on 7th May 1836 at Campbell Town, by Chaplain William Bedford Jr, in the school house.  Charles and Elizabeth had several properties in Campbell Town, before moving to the north west coast after their 5th child David was born.

Grace and Charles Blight were also married in Campbell Town, on 5th February 1844. 

The Campbell Town Convict Brick Trail was a project started for the Bicentenary of Tasmania, in 2003.  A commercial project, the idea was that the bricks were sponsored by descendants of the convicts, or if you did not have, or know of, a convict ancestor, you could adopt a convict who did not have any listed descendants.  Each brick cost $35 to sponsor, so not every convict is represented, and the information displayed depends on the sponsor's connection to the brick - so, as you can see below, Grace has a brick that was sponsored by someone with Dewhurst connections, not Blight connections.  There is no brick for Charles Blight, that I'm aware of.  Unfortunately the project never became as big as the originator envisaged.